Xenoblade developer wants to be “something like” Bethesda

Monolith Soft’s Michihiko Inaba has named The Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda Softworks as the Japanese company’s model and inspiration.

Inaba detailed his aspiration to rival the team behind Skyrim in interviews translated by Siliconera.

“I want to show that Japan can still keep up with the USA when it comes next gen technology. Our goal is to become something like the developers of the Fallout series, Bethesda Softworks,” he said.

Speaking of the Nintendo-sheltered company’s first project for the Wii U, Inaba said he wants to make “an HD game that will wow the players”. His sentiments was echoed by executive producer Hirohide Sugiura.

“I believe that today’s Japanese gaming industry has lost its touch, and we’d like to do something to change that,” Sugiura said.

Monolith Soft and Nintendo have not revealed any details of the project, but said it will be challenging, addictive, and will bring people together.

Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles, Monolith Soft’s last game, released in Japan in 2010 before making its way to Europe and the US this year. The developer has been beavering away behind the scenes on the new game since then, but staff noted elsewhere in the interviews that they’re taking their time jumping into HD development.